Portugal - Vinho Verde Flashcards
Location? Climatic features? Size?
NW corner of Portugal. Bounded by the Atlantic on the west, the river Minho forming the border with Spain to the N, and by the mountains of Peneda-Gerês National park to the E.
It extends beyond the River Douro in the S.
It covers 16,000ha and split into 9 sub regions.
What is the climate? How does it vary?
Moderate maritime thanks to the Atlantic and a network of river valleys that funnel Atlantic winds inland.
As land rises to the east, soils became poorer and climate becomes more continental. Here, warmer dried sub regions eg Baião and Moção e Melgaço lend themselves to later ripening varieties, eg , Avesso, and wines produced from Alvarinho have noticeably higher body and alcohol.
Rainfall is 1500mm falling throughout the year.
How does vintage variation play a role?
Can be marked, with implications for ripening and yields:
2017: 936,000hL
2018: 731,000hL
2019: 788,000hL
Depending on vintage, either port or Vinho Verde are the biggest DOC P.
What are soil types?
Granitic bedrock with a shallow topsoil of decomposed granite with a sandy texture, providing good drainage.
Natural fertility is low, and therefore fertilisers eg manure are commonly needed.
What is typical vineyard training?
Disease is problem.
Traditional method was to train vines up trees to benefit from air circulation.
Some growers with small holdings still have vines trained up trees, or on trellises over terraces, but most modern vineyards are now planted in rows, either single or double Guyot with VSP, or lyre system.
All are trained relatively high from the ground to increase air circulation and reduce the chance of rot.
Summer pruning is used: removal of lateral shoots, leaf removal and green harvesting for productive varieties, to enhance ripening and air circulation.
How have plantings changed?
In the 1960s, over 80% of production was red.
In 2008, 70% was white.
By 2019, 81% white, 14% red and 5% rose.
What is the most planted variety?
Loureiro (Loureira in Spain).
Grown throughout the region, mainly by the coast.
Mid ripening and produces wines with medium (+) acidity, and citrus, pear, floral and herbal aromas.
What is the second most planted variety?
Alvarinho.
Citrus, peach, sometimes tropical, often with medium (+) body and medium (+) to high acidity.
Traditionally almost exclusively grown in the N of Vinho Verde, in a sub region south of the Spanish border, Monção e Melgaço.
Now, due to recognition of the grapes quality, it is more widely planted throughout the region and permitted as a named variety on the label since 2016.
What is the third most planted variety?
Pedernã (Arinto).
Mid ripening, and produces wines more neutral than Loureiro or Alvarinho, with subtle citrus and apple fruit and high acidity.
What other varieties are grown?
Avesso and Trajadura.
Avesso is late ripening and can struggle to fully ripen unless weather conditions are warm and dry. Tends to be grown inland in the south, especially Baião as conditions match. Lower in acidity than other varieties and can be filled bodied and have citrus and stone fruit.
Trajadura (Treixadura) is low in acidity with apple and peach and usually blended with other varieties with higher acidity.
What is the most planted black variety?
Vinhão (Sousão in Douro and Sousón in Galicia) is by far the most planted black variety. Deep coloured with cherry and high acidity.
What is typical winemaking for inexpensive wines?
May use fruit sourced from across the region and a blend of varieties.
Protective methods, cool fermentation in steel.
Bottled for release soon after fermentation and dosed with CO2 at bottling for a light spritz.
Low alcohol, medium (+) to high acidity with apple, citrus, and/or peach flavours, depending on varieties used.
Some may have RS.
Usually good quality and made by co-operatives or large merchants.
What is typical winemaking for very good Vinho Verde?
From smaller, boutique P. Tends to be still and there’s a growing number of single varietal and sub region wines.
Some use ambient yeast, (mostly) old oak for fermentation and/or maturation, and may choose lees.
Mid to premium.
What legal requirements change when the sub region appears on the label?
Minimum abv changes from 8% to 9%.
What labelling requirements surround Alvarinhos from throughout the region?
Single varietal from Monção e Melgaço must be made to lower yields and those for Vinho Verde in general, and have a minimum alcohol of 11.5%.
Legislation permits only the sub-region of Monção e Melgaço to name Alvarinho on their label as a single varietal.
From 2016, other sub regions can name Alvarinho on the label alongside other varieties within the blend, providing Alvarinho accounts for at least 30%.
Producers from regions other than Monção e Melgaço must declassify their wine to Minho VR if they wish to make single varietal Alvarinho.
